Ironclad warships of the Royal Imperial Wardie land Navy

Ironclad warships were a type of steam-propelled armoured warship whose heyday from was from the early years of the second half of the 19th century, to the 1890s, when they were replaced by battleships and armoured cruisers.

Wardie land built many copy designs of ironclads from the early 1860s-1890s, some were ocean-going, such as the HMIWS Paladin (based on the HMS Warrior), whilst others weren't capable of travelling at sea, and were used as coastal defence ships, such as the casemate ironclad HMIWS New London (based on the CSS Virginia).

Wardie land's first ironclad was the HMIWS Paladin, of the Paladin-class, which began construction on 27th November 1860, and was based on HMS Warrior, she was built by Wardie land's primary shipyards, New Rawcliffe Shipbuilding Co., she was completed on 8th March 1862, during Paladin's construction she, and Wardie land's planned ironclad programme, faced threats from both the Imperial Parliament and the military, who didn't see the need for such armoured ships, considering the expense paid on building them. Despite anti-Ironclad opposition production of Paladin continued and she entered service, as a copy of the Warrior she was equipped with 26x smoothbore muzzle-loading 68-pounder cannons, 10x Rifled breechloading 110-pounder guns and 4x Rifled breechloading 40-pounder guns. Paladin served until 1885, and then as a training ship until 1902, when she designated a museum ship and sent to New London Maritime Museum. Paladin served in the Battle of Capital Bay in November 1862, in which she helped destroy the Union fleet sent to attack Wardie land following Wardie land's recognition of the Confederacy, Paladin would later take part in attacks targets on the Californian coastline in order to divert Union forces away from where they needed, and enabling the Confederacy to win the war.

HMIWS Paladin

The minds of most anti-Ironclad opponents of Ironclad construction were changed by the CSS Virginia, which also began Wardie land's interest in the concept of the "Casemate ironclad". Virginia was the Confederate States of America's first ironclad, Wardie land was a supporter of the CSA, and followed the CSA's performance with interest, one thing the Imperial Parliament saw was how the Virginia was extremely deadly to the wooden ships of the Union blockade, destroying USS Cumberland with ease, taking only minor damage during the duel, which was self-inflicted due to ramming the Cumberland, which cause the bow ram to break off, people saw how influential the ironclad could be in a naval battle, as the Virginia was seemingly invincible to Union guns, as a result the Imperial Parliament ordered the immediate construction of a copy of the Virginia to serve as a coastal defence ship, considering that the Virginia was unable to sail at sea, the first copy of the Virginia was the HMIWS New London, which entered construction in April 1862, and was completed by October 1862.

The ironclad New London was a reconstruction of the steam frigate HMIWS New London, it was decided the ironclad would keep the same name as her wooden predecessor, the frigate New London's timbers were cut down past her waterline, an armoured casemate was placed atop her new main deck, she also received a new fantail. Much like Virginia, New London and her class were fitted with 2x 7-inch Brooke rifles, 2x 6.4-inch Brooke rifles, 6x 9-inch Dahlgren Smoothbores and on her upper casemate deck were fitted 2x anti-personnel/anti-boarding 12-pounder howitzers.

New London and her sisters were serve into the 1880s, helping to repel a Union naval force following the November 1862 recognition of the CSA, before becoming training ships, and finally becoming museum ships in the 1910s.

HMIWS New London, with both Naval Ensign and Naval Jack on display

Following the successful commissioning and operation of the New London-class, it was decided to create an upgraded version, this was the New London II-class, the ships of this class were longer than the ships of the original New London-class, and had 5 guns on each side, rather than 4, they also had a more powerful engine.

HMIWS New London II, displaying both Naval Ensign and Naval Jack.